ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mine — for digging
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. object — a thing
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stem — to come from
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. object — to protest
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. object — an aim
  24. stem — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com